diff --git a/src/Markdig.Tests/TestLinkHelper.cs b/src/Markdig.Tests/TestLinkHelper.cs
index d46c50ab..b9a15292 100644
--- a/src/Markdig.Tests/TestLinkHelper.cs
+++ b/src/Markdig.Tests/TestLinkHelper.cs
@@ -112,26 +112,26 @@ public void TestUrlAndTitle()
     }
 
     [Test]
-    public void TestUrlAndTitleEmpty()
+    public void TestUrlEmptyAndTitleNull()
     {
         //                           01234
         var text = new StringSlice(@"(<>)A");
         Assert.True(LinkHelper.TryParseInlineLink(ref text, out string link, out string title, out SourceSpan linkSpan, out SourceSpan titleSpan));
         Assert.AreEqual(string.Empty, link);
-        Assert.AreEqual(string.Empty, title);
+        Assert.AreEqual(null, title);
         Assert.AreEqual(new SourceSpan(1, 2), linkSpan);
         Assert.AreEqual(SourceSpan.Empty, titleSpan);
         Assert.AreEqual('A', text.CurrentChar);
     }
 
     [Test]
-    public void TestUrlAndTitleEmpty2()
+    public void TestUrlEmptyAndTitleNull2()
     {
         //                           012345
         var text = new StringSlice(@"( <> )A");
         Assert.True(LinkHelper.TryParseInlineLink(ref text, out string link, out string title, out SourceSpan linkSpan, out SourceSpan titleSpan));
         Assert.AreEqual(string.Empty, link);
-        Assert.AreEqual(string.Empty, title);
+        Assert.AreEqual(null, title);
         Assert.AreEqual(new SourceSpan(2, 3), linkSpan);
         Assert.AreEqual(SourceSpan.Empty, titleSpan);
         Assert.AreEqual('A', text.CurrentChar);
@@ -158,7 +158,7 @@ public void TestUrlEmpty()
         var text = new StringSlice(@"()A");
         Assert.True(LinkHelper.TryParseInlineLink(ref text, out string link, out string title, out SourceSpan linkSpan, out SourceSpan titleSpan));
         Assert.AreEqual(string.Empty, link);
-        Assert.AreEqual(string.Empty, title);
+        Assert.AreEqual(null, title);
         Assert.AreEqual(SourceSpan.Empty, linkSpan);
         Assert.AreEqual(SourceSpan.Empty, titleSpan);
         Assert.AreEqual('A', text.CurrentChar);
diff --git a/src/Markdig/Helpers/LinkHelper.cs b/src/Markdig/Helpers/LinkHelper.cs
index b76cddca..c5004594 100644
--- a/src/Markdig/Helpers/LinkHelper.cs
+++ b/src/Markdig/Helpers/LinkHelper.cs
@@ -411,7 +411,7 @@ public static bool TryParseInlineLink(ref StringSlice text, out string? link, ou
         {
             // Skip ')'
             text.SkipChar();
-            title ??= string.Empty;
+            // not to normalize nulls into empty strings, since LinkInline.Title property is nullable.
         }
 
         return isValid;
@@ -1565,4 +1565,4 @@ public static bool TryParseLabelTrivia<T>(ref T lines, bool allowEmpty, out stri
         label = buffer.ToString();
         return true;
     }
-}
\ No newline at end of file
+}
diff --git a/src/Markdig/Parsers/Inlines/LinkInlineParser.cs b/src/Markdig/Parsers/Inlines/LinkInlineParser.cs
index eee94ec7..a9687a31 100644
--- a/src/Markdig/Parsers/Inlines/LinkInlineParser.cs
+++ b/src/Markdig/Parsers/Inlines/LinkInlineParser.cs
@@ -260,7 +260,7 @@ private bool TryProcessLinkOrImage(InlineProcessor inlineState, ref StringSlice
                     link = new LinkInline()
                     {
                         Url = HtmlHelper.Unescape(url, removeBackSlash: false),
-                        Title = HtmlHelper.Unescape(title, removeBackSlash: false),
+                        Title = title is null ? null : HtmlHelper.Unescape(title, removeBackSlash: false),
                         IsImage = openParent.IsImage,
                         LabelSpan = openParent.LabelSpan,
                         UrlSpan = inlineState.GetSourcePositionFromLocalSpan(linkSpan),